Records

08 December 2016

All we know of Dick in December 1941 is that he visited the dentist in Bournemouth on Friday 19th. Perhaps he even spent Christmas at home with Chotie?

In Dorset the early radar mapping discoveries (called ‘Blind Navigation’) were encouraged to enable bombers to find targets in poor weather at night.

Dick’s future unit, the secret 1st Air Landing, became established in Shaw House, near Newbury in Berkshire,under the leadership of Major ‘Freddie’ Gough (later of Arnhem fame).

On 2nd December the new National Service Billintroduces compulsory war service for single women aged between 20 and 30.

Hitler’s armies were in striking distance of Moscow at the end of November but a surprise counter-attack by Soviet forces on 5th December halted their advance.

In Libya Operation Typhoon successfully led to the withdrawal of Rommel’s troops and the lifting if the siege of Tobruk.

In Norway Combined Operations’ newly formed commandos successfully destroyed 16,000 tons of German shipping in a raid.

However…..

On 8thDecember 1941 (7th December in Hawaiii) Japanese forces successfully sprung a surprise air attack on the American Fleet in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii and the USA and UK declared war on Japan. On 9th December China, already at war with Japan, declared war on Germany and Italy and two days later the USA was also at war with Germany and Italy.

World War 2 was now truly global.

Japan also attacked US bases in the Philippines, destroying half the US Far East Airforce, Guam (in the Mariana Islands) and Wake Island (between Hawaii and the Marianas). In China they moved into Shanghai.

Japanese forces landed in Malaya, launching air raids on Singapore, and sinking the great British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse, sent to defend the colony. Their troops landed in Borneo and Burma and on the British held Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on 25th December, Christmas Day.

Churchill was, by then, in America, in urgent conference with the US President and essential ally Franklin D. Roosevelt, relieved that at last the USA was entering the war.

(From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

09 June 2016

On 24th May the popular Picture Post magazine predicted that Poole, where Chotie lived, would be one of the main landing areas for the still anticipated German invasion. Dick sent a telegram to Chotie on 24th May and they managed to meet up in Southampton the next day.

On Tuesday 27th May Dick wrote to Chotie while guarding prisoners on Southampton Common. Rumours that he’d heard about moving proved true and, as Allied troops were evacuated from Crete (following the German paratrooper invasion), Dick was preparing for a move to Fort Brockhurst at Gosport near Portsmouth.

In June rationing was extended to clothes – Chotie found this increasingly miserable. She was an avid fashion fan and trained as a window dresser at the Beales fashion store in Bournemouth (later bombed).

The move to Gosport on 3rd June found a very disgruntled Dick comparing the place to a chicken coop and fed up with his duties as a Corporal. On 7th June he reverted to Private at his own request:

Letter posted Monday 9th June 1941

‘D’ Company

Fort Brockhurst

Gosport.

My Darling Chotie,

Thanks a million for the letter. I've only just got it as I suppose it was held up at Soton.

Well, Honey, I've got some news this week! I'm now a private again.

I got so utterly fed up with this Battalion, that I sent in an application to the Old Man to revert to the ranks. He refused, saying he considered me better as an NCO, than as a private. He then asked me why I wished to revert, so I let him have it!

I told him I'd sooner serve as a Mess Orderly in a fighting unit than a Sergeant-Major in this. That shook ‘ee!

He asked me whether I'd like to go on MT*, driving, probably on a motor-bike, should there be a vacancy. I told him I would, so may start there soon. At any rate I'll get a transfer.

I told the Old Man that all the NCOs did here was to wet-nurse a lot of kids who should be in the Boy Scouts.

So here I am. Being a Private will give me a wonderful chance to swot up, which I intend to do. Besides, driving is more fun than fooling about in barracks, etc. I shall probably break my neck, but that's how it goes.

(Don't forget to address all correspondence to Private name & number)

Will you still love me as a private, Darling? That's all I'm worried about.

George was going to chuck his in, but he's got some sick leave, so I don't know much about it.

I went to the Coliseum at Portsmouth, yesterday, and saw a Strip-Tease Act. The compere said “The more you applaud, the more she takes off.”! Did the boys give her a hand! I went with John and Ted Rendall, - we nearly killed ourselves laughing.

Later The only good thing at this place is the showers. They're hot almost always. I've just had one, after dinner, and do I feel ‘in the pink’! I could kill an ox.

Well, Darling I must close here, with all my love. Please write and tell me you still think of me now & then.

29 July 2015

75 years ago Dick was a soldier at Bemerton on Salisbury Plain and had started training to be a PT Instructor.After a month in the Army he’d gained his first stripe, becoming a Lance Corporal, which must have been testing since there were already 'a large number of deserters'. ‘

Dick had 48 hours leave on weekend of 27th and 28th July 1940 and met Chotie.

Sunday 28th July 1940 was his nineteenth birthday.

6th Dorset’s

South Wilts

Cricket Ground

Bemerton

NR Salisbury, Wilts.

My Darling Chotie,

I’m writing this on Monday evening, my first opportunity to write since regaining Camp, which I’m trying to do in almost total darkness in the NAAFI*, in the company of Hughes and George. There’s really nothing to write as there is of course no news. I feel terribly flat. We must get really moving on our next meeting. We seem to waste so much time…

I was told tonight that I am going on a fortnight’s P.T. course at Tidworth, which I believe is somewhere near Salisbury. Could you let me know where this is, (ie look it up on a map or something?)

I’m afraid I have to turn in now, but will continue tomorrow.

It’s now Tuesday dinner time. There’s still no more news. I have been on P.T. all the morning and I’m rather fed up. I’m certainly going back to the ranks after I become proficient.

I had a yarn with the Instructor who appears to be rather pleased with my going on this course. He imagines I’m going to come back and teach him something. He must be nuts. Still there’s no harm in thinking.

I have another two squads to take this afternoon, what a life! I’m not missing much however, as all the boys are trench-digging.

It’s now Tuesday evening. I write a little every time I get a moment to spare.I really must thank you again for this super writing case. It certainly gives me inspiration.

I must close now darling, as I have to slip this down to the Post Office without delay.

Bye, bye darling

Your devoted

Dicker

P.S. Je t’aime encore de tout mon coeur même plusque la vie.**

*NAAFI – Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes – official trading organisation of HM Forces i.e. the canteen.

** “I love you always, with all of my heart, and more than life itself.”

Dick was appointed Lance Corporal on Monday 29th July 1940.

On 31st July 1940 Dick’s medical form stated he was in A.1. condition.

06 March 2015

Richard (‘Dicker’) is resident at ‘St Margarets’, 9 Sea Lane, Pagham, near Bognor Regis and his occupation is Lieutenant Reconnaissance Corps (previously Public School Student). His father is Dudley Kelner Beresford Williams, a retired Master Mechanical Engineer.

Barbara (‘Chotie’) is resident at “The Hollies”, Commercial Road, Parkstone and her occupation is W/242328 Private A.T.S. (previously Drapery Store Window Dresser). Her father is William James Chalkley, the Managing Director of a Dairy Firm (Creekmoor Dairies).

01 January 2015

Extract from Army List for January 1945 (corrected to 16th December 1944) from Recce Mitch’s post of 7th June 2013 – thumbnail (33 of 35 or page 372) for Army List with R.K. Williams entered as a WAr Substantive Lieutenant from 1/5/44. The British Army List is a list of British Army officers.

On 1st January 1945 the Luftwaffe launched Operation Baseplate, a major offensive strike against Allied airfields in the Low Countries. Although many Allied planes were destroyed the operation failed to achieve the air superiority that would enable them to resume their advance.

17 December 2014

17th December 1944 – the US 82nd and 101st Airborne (see previous Chapter) are released from reserve to reinforce American troops in the Ardennes.

At Malmedy, south-west of Menschau, 86 American Prisoners of War are murdered by their SS captors.

In the Battle of Schnee Eiffel/St Vith (south-east of Malmedy) the Germans sucessfully trap up to 9,000 Americans who surrender on 19th December.

On 17th December Dick appears to have been involved in a traffic accident. When driving a car between Marktstraat and Grote Markt in Izegem he knocked a lady, Elza Lammertyn, off her bike and she broke three ribs.

10 December 2014

Eric was injured (phosphorous burns) soon after and spent Xmas 1944 in hospital in Belgium. After he came out of hospital he was sent to a vehicle distribution centre for a short while, and then Palestine and Egypt until June 1947 when he was demobbed (information kindly given by Derek brewer, his son).

Eric was married and had eight children, three boys and five girls. He died in 1999.

Eric, 4th from left in centre row, while training at Catterick Camp in 1943.

02 November 2014

‘ “A” Squadron continued to hold their positions at ZETTEN. The area is quiet apart from spasmodic mortaring and shelling and the only extra commitment is the daily Armoured Car patrol to OPHEUSDEN. This battered village is unoccupied, abandoned by the enemy and only entered daily by our cars, an American and usually a German patrol. The entire area is heavily mined (Schu-mines* mainly), and the Americans suffer almost daily casualties from them.

Place WINSSEN

The remainder of the regiment are resting at WINSSEN, overhauling equipment and cleaning up etc.

*German anti-personnel mine with a wooden body making it difficult to detect with metal detectors.

04 October 2014

‘Today has been quiet. “A” Squadron have returned from 69 Infantry brigade and reverted to Regimental control.

Tonight a warning order from Division arrived. The Regiment moves NORTH of NIJMEGEN tomorrow.’

Eric Brewer wrote: “We were relieved to go for baths – first one since Bayeux…Saw a dog fight…Gerry is after the bridge but he got shot down and we saw the parachute.”

On October 4th, while still at Nijmegen he wrote: “as I write this this the sound of mortar shells, air craft and machine gun fire can be heard.”(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 4th Place NIJMEGEN ‘The Island’

‘The Waal was crossed at 1400 hrs and the Regiment moved to the area 6968 just SOUTH of ELST. We are in Divisional reserve though tactically disposed in Squadron ‘blobs’ centred on the BEMMEL* area.’

*a village south east of Elst

Reg Harper from 61st Recce RHQ (Regimental Headquarters) recalled ‘the Island’ in the newsletter of the Old Comrades Association:

“The damp, dreary and dismal ‘ISLAND’, that notorious place between Nijmegen and Arnhem we got to know so well during that October/November ’44…North it was again over Nijmegen bridge where, as Colonel Brownrigg wrote the heart sank every time you did it, and in my memory the throttle foot also went down hard on many occasions.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

Dick and the rest of 61st Recce had all moved to ‘the Island’,

near Elst (between the Waal and Lower Rhine rivers)

south of Arnhem, which was still held by the Germans.

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 5th Place ELST area

‘Today has been quiet. “B” & “C” Squadron’s location remaining unchanged. “A” Squadron moved from Regimental reserve and came under command of 151 Brigade* relieving 6 Durham Light Infantry from the area immediately NORTH EAST of NIJMEGEN bridge. “A” are not seriously committed. They have only a narrow sector to hold, and that, one which is unlikely to be the enemy’s ‘Schwerpunkt’** should an attack develop. Five officer reinforcements ex 34 RHU***

*part of 50th Division.

** a German word meaning literally ‘hard point’, the schw­er­punkt is the unmov­ing tar­get of a strat­egy - the one objective every­one is work­ing toward.

**Replacement Holding Unit or something to do with the Royal Hussars (part of 7th Armoured Brigade)?

01 October 2014

‘The dawn of another month finds the Regt’s location unchanged. RHQ still at MILL 6545 with “B” & “C” Sqns East of the village and “C” Sqn patrolling the WEST bank of the R. MAAS. The Armd Cs are now the only troops committed and the enemy is remaining quiet.

Orders were received from Division that the Regt is to move tomorrow to the NIJMEGEN area and adv parties from 3rd (Br) Div arrived during the afternoon. Sqns started to thin out during daylight and by 2200 hrs the relief was complete. The relief has been on a generous scale – an inf bn relieving one of our armd c patrols at CUYK 7249.’

According to his diary Eric Brewer was already on his way: “Shifted to Nijmegen. Passed over the bridge the first airborne captured*…..50 of squadron allowed out to Nijmegen so we tossed up but was not lucky.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

*Nijmegen bridge was captured by the US 82nd Airborne and XXX Corps on 20th October 1944.

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 2nd. Place MILL (then) NIJMEGEN

‘Most of the early part of today has been spent preparing for the move NORTH. “A” Sqn are still under comd 69 Inf Bde NORTH of NIJMEGEN and it looks as though the Regt may be complete again before long. The move took place at 1700 hrs and Sqns were in the new locn – SOUTH of NIJMEGEN – by last light. RHQ was est at 702585.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands the Guards were still prevented from reaching Arnhem bridge by determined German resistance at Elst

The XXX Corps lifeline was severed by the Germans between Uden (south-west of Grave) and Veghel cutting off the front of the advance with the US 82nd Airborne and part of 61st Recce.

43rd (Wessex) Division was brought up across the River Waal and attacked towards Driel, on the south bank of the Lower Rhine, where they linked up with the Polish Airborne. Dick’s former unit, 43rd Recce protected the left flank of the Division on ‘the Island’. Some of the Polish troops succeeded in crossing the Rhine in small boats and joining Urquhart’s Airborne at Oosterbeek, who were still holding their besieged position.

16 September 2014

Army List for October 1944 (corrected to 16th September 1944) see Recce Mitch's post of 7th June 2013 – thumbnail (13 of 15 or page 368) for Army List with R.K. Williams entered as an Officer - 2nd Lieutenant but (W.S./Lt. 1/5/44) i.e War Substantive Lieutenant.

The British Army List is a list (or more accurately seven series of lists) of serving regular, militia or territorial British Army officers, kept in one form or another, since 1702.

01 July 2014

(From Recce Quarterly Army List - see Recce Mitch’s post of 7th June 2013.) – with RK Williams entered as an Officer - 2nd Lieutenant (although Dick was a war substantive Lieutenant from 1st May 1944).

The British Army List is a list (or more accurately seven series of lists) of serving regular, militia or territorial British Army officers, kept in one form or another, since 1702.

05 March 2014

I’ve got this evening free, so I thought I’d drop you another line or two. My leave at the moment, still holds good, so if you’ll let me know finally that yours is OK and what time you expect to arrive home in your next letter I’ll get things teed up this end.

I’ve been very busy lately, spending most of the time away from the camp, which has both its advantages and disadvantages. It provides a change of scenery which is always welcome, especially when it’s sunny, tho’ on the other hand you never get a chance to get organised.

You’re a very naughty girl for not having written to me for such a long time. However, I expect you’re pretty busy yourself, or you would have written.

There’s no news to tell you. I get so little time off that I don’t get a chance to do much .

Incidentally, you’d better send your next letter to Pagham as I’ll be home on Wednesday mid-day. I expect this will cross with one from you anyhow.

I spent three very happy days on a stud farm in Cambridgeshire*. It was the home of Sir Cuthbert Quilter who is President of the Suffolk Horse Breeding Society. Ten years ago he farmed 22,000 acres but he’s practically penniless now I believe.

I met a bloke, a civilian of fifty or thereabouts, who used to live in Herne Bay and knows most of the people we knew there. He actually lived in the same house. The next time I see him I’ll get things teed up and get my feet right under the table.

Must close here for dinner.

Don’t forget to write to Pagham to let me know all the dope.

love

Dicker

*probably Bawdsey Manor, where Sir Cuthbert Quilter had bred Suffolk Punch horses but which was acquired by the Government in 1936. It became the top-secret research establishment where Robert Watson-Watt (who had set up the first radar research station at nearby Orford Ness in 1935), and then A.P. Rowe, developed Britain’s radar defences. The outbreak of war and proximity to Germany moved them first to Dundee and then, on 5th May 1940, to Worth Matravers in Dorset as the Telecommunications Research Establishment. See ‘The Missing Winter’. (From ‘The Bruneval Raid – stealing Hitler’s radar’ by George Millar, Cassell 1974)

5th March 1944 – Operation Thursday was part of the 2nd Chindit Expedition involving flying in 9,000 men (with mules, equipment and supplies) to northern Burma, near Indaw, and landing them behind the Japanese enemy lines.

6th March 1944 - The RAF’s Bomber Command begins a large-scale offensive over Northern France in preparation for D Day and the USA Air Force again attacks Berlin. (From WW2-net Timelines)

7th March 1944 – Japan advances to India with nearly 100,000 men in Operation U-Go until stopped by the Allies at Kohima and Imphal in the mountainous borderlands of North-eastern India.(See Defence of Imphal and Kohima.)

On 7th March Chotie’s Service & Casualty form records that she ‘Acted Voluntary Blood Donor’.

10th March 1944 – Merrill’s Marauders attack Myitkina on the Ayeyarwady River in north Burma (now Myanmar), a critical point on the planned supply route to China known as the Ledo Road. However, the city was not finally captured from the Japanese until 3rd August 1944 and most supplies continued to be flown over the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains (known as ‘The Hump’).

13th March 1944 – British Forces in the Arakan, Burma (Myanmar) take Razabil, a critical position between the Maya mountains and the sea, known as the ‘Golden Fortress’. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

Soviet forces advancing from the Ukraine reach the Bug River, a tributary of the River Vistula that formed the division between German and Russian forces following the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the traditional division between Catholic and Orthodox Polish Christians. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

New Zealand and Indian Divisions with the US Fifth Army in Italy are engaged in the unsuccessful third attack on Monte Cassino and withdrawn after 23rd March.

In France the Conseil National de la Resistance publishes an important equality charter. (From 'French Resistance'.)

10 February 2014

I was inoculated yesterday morning and owing to a severe shortage of officers in the Squadron I’ve had to remain on duty all the time. I was out on the range yesterday and got pretty cold, as a consequence of which I went to bed feeling a little pallid. On crawling out of bed this morning I found I couldn’t stand, so I promptly crawled back again. However, I got up for lunch and am feeling a lot better now, though I still ache all over.

Hope you managed to stay in bed after your jab, nothing's more miserable than having to stay on duty.

I’m going on a week’s course at Birmingham on the 15th, luckily it won’t affect my leave. It’s a very cushy course as students (?) stay at the Officers Club and all the instructors are civilians. Pity Eric doesn’t still live there. I received three oranges today – there’s an issue of three per officer in the mess. However, like the good little boy I am, I’m sending them home to mother.

I had a day in Cambridge last week – a lovely town. Unfortunately it’s full of Yanks and there’s a beer shortage. Notwithstanding these two major calamities I managed to have quite a good time.

Apart from this one excursion I haven’t been out at all. Unless you get at least 24 hrs off it’s not worth going anywhere. Cambridge is the only place worth going to and that’s some forty miles or so.

Just had a letter from Brinner. He’s now started on Machine Gun (Vickers) which is the last phase of his training. I also wrote to Diller to get her to change her leave, so that we’ll be home together.

Would you let me know what time you’ll be arriving home so that I can make arrangements from this end. (That is of course if you can get 72 hrs).

This letter was written to Private B. E. Chalkley in ‘A’ Troop O.F.C. ATS, 462 Hy(M) Bty RA, Markham Camp, Easton-in-Gordano, Bristol so Chotie seems to have moved from ‘B’ Troop but in the same battery.

On 10th February she had another visit to the dentist in Bristol.

15th February 1944 – Allies bomb the famous monastery of Monte Cassino and begin their second major assault to capture the defensive stronghold. The rubble actually gave the Germans better cover then the building would have. Although the fighting was brutal the attacks failed and were broken off on 18th February.

28 November 2013

I’m now back again and settled down after the scheme, which lasted for its original duration much to everyone’s disgust.

On the whole I had quite a happy time, as I either stayed at, or passed through, several old haunts well known to the family in the old Morris Cowley days, and coupled with the opportunity so often missed of worming my way into a vast number of period farmhouses and the like.

The weather was excellent, cold but dry and as we stayed in one little village for three days without doing anything of military importance, we managed to get sufficiently well organised to hold ABCA* periods and run a football tournament. I evaded these two popular pastimes however, and mooched about a local farm until the daughter of the house asked me in for coffee and CHOCOLATE Biscuits! Her undoubted charms left me cold, but I took a lively interest in the biscuits. Lovely old house, with a massive oak beam over the fireplace marked 1600.

The major** came back yesterday. He appeared quite a good type – reads Balzac, so I’m well in.

Nothing much happens here. I’ve just finished a 48 hr spell of Duty Officer, rather a cushy appointment.

I get another 24 hr next Wednesday so I may go up to ……….. (word inked out). There’s nothing to do here, or locally, but the snag is the fare. It will be the second day I’ve had off in three weeks, which isn’t so good, to my way of thinking.

Many thanks for your letter, Darling, most welcome at the conclusion of an exercise. Glad to hear you’ve got, or rather you’re getting, a rise. I bet you’re getting more than me after all. After I’ve paid income tax, messing*** etc, I get the equivalent of Lance Corporal’s pay….

Must close here for dinner.

All my love precious

Dicker.

*Army Bureau of Current Affairs – an organisation set up to educate and raise morale among British servicemen in World War 2 (see Wikipedia).

**possibly the Regimental second-in-command, who was a Major, or maybe the Major commanding ‘B’ Squadron. (See Reconnaissance Organisation December 1943 and Reconnaissance.) Dick was one of 23 to 30 subalterns in the Regiment – commissioned officers below the rank of captain, generally comprising first and second (junior) lieutenants. Dick, as a newly commissioned officer, was a second lieutenant.

***Commissioned Officers were required to eat in the Officers’ Mess and pay a subscription fee for supplies and upkeep. They would also be expected to wear formal attire for evenings in the mess.

30th November 1943 – the British 8th Army now has control of the Gustav line defences north of the Sangro River, near the Adriatic coast of Italy. The next day US 5th Army forces begins attacks on the Bernhardt line to the south.

2nd December 1943 – A German Air raid on the Adriatic port of Bari, near the southernmost tip of Italy, hits a US ship carrying mustard gas. Many civilians are poisoned by the gas and the Allies keep the incident secret. (See WW2 Talk Forum.)

In Britain a shortage of coalminers leads to the Ministry of Labour and National Service, led by Ernest Bevin, taking one in 10 conscripts to work in the mines. The ‘Bevin Boys’ service to the war effort was not fully recognised until1995.

4th December 1943 – Leipzig is bombed by the RAF causing an intense firestorm. More than 1,800 people are killed. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

At the second Cairo conference Churchill and Roosevelt discuss Turkey’s neutrality with President İnönü. However, Turkey did not join the war, on the side of the Allies, until February 1945. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

28th November 1943 – Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin meet at the Tehran Conference in Iran. They agree on a cross-channel invasion of France in May 1944 and discuss other political issues, some contributing to the post-war establishment of Soviet dominated governments in Eastern Europe. Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated and tentative steps were made towards the establishment of the United Nations organization.

The Royal Military College in
Sandhurst, Surrey, is now where all officers of the British Army are trained to
lead soldiers. However, in World War 2
Sandhurst was used solely as the Royal Armoured Corps Training Unit OCTU from
1942.

13th May 1943 – the Royal
Navy begin the bombardment of Pantelleria Island between Tunisiaand Sicily. This was followed by aerial bombing in early
June and Allied invasion on 10th June 1943 (Operation Corkscrew) in
preparation for the invasion of Sicily. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

15th May 1943 – Stalin announces the dissolution of the Comintern, the
Communist International organisation working for world revolution.(From WW2-net Timelines.)

16th May 1943 – RAF bomber squadron No 617, known as ‘the Dambusters’,
successfully breaches the Möhne and Eder dams with bouncing bombs (see The War in Dorset - December 1942), flooding the Ruhr valley and
damaging the electricity supply to Germany’s industrial heartland. Unfortunately more than a thousand of those
killed in ‘Operation Chastise’ were Allied prisoners of war (mainly from the
Soviet Union).

17th May 1943 – Operation Schwartz, Germany’s 5th
offensive against Marshal Tito’s communist partisans in Yugoslavia, who had
liberated large areas of Yugoslavia from Axis control. 10 days later a British
liaison team parachuted in to join up with the Partisans. The Allies had previously supported their
rivals - General Mihailovic’s Royalist Chetnik forces, based in Serbia. By September
1943 Britain had established permanent formal liaison with the Partisans.

Large German night raid against Cardiff, believed to be in retaliation
for the Dambusters raid.(From WW2-net Timelines.)

06 April 2013

Chotie in the ATS field cap, which could be purchased privately to wear
with service dress.

On 6th April 1943 Chotie moved to

Markham Camp, Easton-in-Gordano, Bristol.

She was now in ‘B’ troop 462 Hy (M) Anti-Aircraft Battery of the

Royal Artillery.

“After all the training I moved to Bristol, to a gun site Ack Ack to perform as a fully-fledged radar operator. When the guns first went off I was off duty and in bed. So terrified I jumped into the next bed to hug the girl there. She was also terrified. I made some good friends, especially Nan from Yorkshire, she was a sweet girl.” (From ‘Chotie’s Story’.)

Nan from Yorkshire.

7th
April 1943 – Hitler begins a series of pep talks – first with Mussolini, to
keep Italy in the war, and then with the leaders of Vichy France, Norway,
Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Croatia. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

10 February 2013

*War Office Selection Boards were established in 1942 to ensure potential officers were chosen on the basis of merit and more soldiers in the ranks would aspire to a commission. (The Guards, however, did not participate in WOSB selection.)

Boards of psychologists, psychiatrists and military experts presided over the vetting of potential officers over 3 days, bringing a scientific approach to selection. Candidates filled in detailed questionnaires on their civilian and military background, medical history and spare time activities. They took intelligence and personality tests and participated in group tests, involving discussions and outdoor exercises to assess their physical fitness and leadership ability. These included leaderless group tests to assess initiative, co-operation and social skills. A final interview with the military President of the Board was used to confirm officer quality. Assessments were usually held in large country houses.

(From ‘The British Army and the People’s War’ by Jeremy A. Crang)

I understand that the current process for officer selection is not so very different.

See also a personal account of the War Office Selection BoardWar Office Selection Board by Duncan Leitch Torrance in People’s War on the BBC website.

'WW2 People's War’ is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar .

On 13th February 1943

Dick ceased to be attached to the War Office Selection Board

and was posted to Home Details (O.C.T.U. Candidate)

having been approved by No.6 War Office Selection Board

as a candidate suitable for training at an OCTU*.

*O.C.T.U. = Officer Cadet Training Unit

Copy of Recordfrom Service & Casualty Form

43RC/34/1/43 43 Recce

Ceased to be attached to No.6 War Office Selection Board Redhill

Trooper 13.2.43 JGordon

No 6 War Office Selection Board was located at
Brockham Park, Betchworth, Surrey, between Redhill/Reigate and Dorking.

14th
February 1943 – Rommel’s Afrika Corps advance on Allied positions in
the Atlas Mountains of Tunisia culminating in the Battle of Kasserine
Pass on 19th to 25th February (the first major clash between German and US forces of WW2).

Rostov-on-Don
(north-east of the Black Sea on the Sea of Azov) is recaptured by the
Russians having been occupied by the German Army for seven months.

15th
February 1943 – British Special Forces known as the Chindits engage the
Japanese in Burma at the start of their Operation Longcloth campaign.

“I had been sent from Northampton to Oswestry – an enormous camp – to train to be a radar operator. We did full military training with a Sergeant Major on the parade ground. God, it was just like prison. Food so awful and the tea implanted with bromide to stop us getting passionate. I lived on grub from the NAAFI and Andrews Liver Salts to make the water palatable. Life was grim. George visited me once and took me for a meal in a pub ‘heaven’.”

'WW2 People's War’ is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.

The famous SOE spy, Violette Szabo, had also been stationed at Oswestry during her brief time with the ATS (September 1941 to April 1942). With her husband away in the French Foreign Legion she wanted to take an active part in the war.

“She had heard of a plan for using women in anti-aircraft batteries, not on the guns, but to aid and direct the guns by operating predictors, height-finders, and other instruments…

There was no hardship the men faced that the girls weren’t prepared to endure…They had Nissen huts to live in, the girls segregated in one group, the men in another. But in the general canteen there was no such separation…after supper, if a mobile film unit or ENSA entertainers were not visiting them, they danced or put on an improvised show. The exaggerated hip movements of the girls on parade were corrected and they were sent out on long route marches. All wore trousers and lipstick was only allowed off duty.”

Violette was selected to work as a Vickers predictor and went on to work on the Mersey anti-aircraft defences at Sutton Weaver, where the alarm went almost every night.

“At times the action lasted for three hours or more. The girls at the instruments had no cover at all and were liable to be hit by a falling bomb and by shell splinters.”

Violette left to give birth to her baby daughter, Tania, but when her husband was killed at El Alamein she joined the SOE(Special Operations Executive). She spoke fluent French and was trained as a spy while nominally an officer in the FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). In April 1944 she was parachuted into France to help re-organise the Resistance network around Rouen. Working with the Maquis in Limoges, to co-ordinate sabotage activities during the Normandy landings, she was captured, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. Having refused to talk she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp near Berlin and executed there in February 1945.

11 January 2013

So you’re in the Army at last…._ and from your letter things don’t appear to be too bad.

I should imagine by now you know all about innoculation….Just ignore it. Personally we always welcome it as it means 48 hrs in kip – that is TAB* of course, not ATT etc.

Northampton seems rather a far cry from Dorset, but you may be posted farther South of course. It’ll be the helluva way to go just for 48 hrs though.

You say the clobber seems stiff – and soft cloth at that….

I’ve just done an amazing thing – for me, or rather two amazing things – won two cross-countries inside a week! Shock nearly killed me. Had a forced route march today over ploughed fields. Half the troop fell out. I made it all right, but it left me with a swine of a headache. All those who fell out go on a charge automatically.

Expect you’re bored stiff reading all this tosh! Specially if the innoc. gotyou down. We are always urged to get about and forget it, but I just give in and relax in bed.

It’ll be a change to write to you at another address….

Ramble, ramble….

Pretty chilly here, expect it’s the same with you. We pinch about ½ ton of coal a week from various sources.

Haven’t heard from Brinner for ages – and Eric needless to say has always failed to write. Brinner’s still somewhere in Essex I suppose.

Section Training continued for 43rd Recce from 11th to 15th January 1943. On Saturday 16th there was Vehicle Maintenance and Recreational training and on 17th Church Parade. 43rd Recce officers provided umpires for Exercise “Hammer 1” from 17th to 19th January.(From the War Diary of the 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

11th January 1943 – Chotie again visited the dentist at Northampton.

Copy of Record

Dental Treatment Card – 13/1/43 Northampton

On 11th January 1943 Chotie filled out a qualification form and was tested and interviewed on the 12th January.

Sheet 10A. (A.T.S.) - record copy in poor condition so written out in full.

QUALIFICATION FORM

1. Training Centre 1 2.Company 3 3.Date of intake 8th Jan 1943

4. Surname (in block letters) CHALKLEY Army No 242328

5. Christian names BARBARA CHALKLEY 6. Home County DORSET

7. Date of birth 6TH Sept 1923 8. Height 5’2¼ 9. Spectacles NO

10. Married or single NO 11. Ages of children (if any) -

12. Schools (name and Place) Courthill School, Parkstone

13. Age on leaving full time school 15yrs 14. Standard or class 7th (Elem.)

*(Comments in brackets and italics were added subsequently by assessor)

SUMMARY SHEET

1. TEST RESULTS

Name CHALKLEY B.E. No. W/242328

(To be filled in by Clerk or N.C.O.)

S.G.

Re-test

S.P.Test 2

S.P.Test 3

S.P.Test 4

S.P.Test 5

AA-A

AA-B

AA-C

AA-D

49/1

26/2

34/3 mins

21/2

64/2

36/3 plus

√

-

√

√

ED

Spotter

VAT

Track

Tracer

R+

6

10.10.10

E./T.

0 98

Very steady

Educational

Standard

Medical Category

Height

Glasses Worn

5.

AWI

Visual Sh.

R. L.

6/6 6/6

5’2¼

No

2. INTERVIEW RECORD.

(To be filled in by Clerk or N.C.O.)

Main Occupation Window Dresser

E.R. 1 2 3

L 1 2 3

A 1 2 minus 3

M 1 2 minus 3

S 1 2 3

3. GENERAL REMARKS

These should relate to the Auxiliary’s experience and/or qualifications in civil life, her own views about her employment in the A.T.S., and a note of any special qualifications to be noted for immediate or future use in the service.

Very keen to be on a gun site. Test standards good. Would like stores as second choice. Although SP 23 one grade below standard recommend in view of other test scores.

For first-hand accounts of life in the A.T.S. Training Camp in Northampton see the People's War archive on the BBC website.

Doreen Myall, W/242400, also had to report for duty at the camp in January 1943:

“We were met at Northampton by army lorries, which took us to the centre. I do not remember too much of Northampton.

It was a very cold January that year with snow on the ground for most of my three weeks training. I had chilblains on my feet and trying to break in new army shoes was very painful as there were parades, PE and marching every day.My first breakfast was kippers, not quite what I was used to at home but when you are hungry you eat. I did go into Northampton once to look around and marched oneSunday to Church Parade but cannot remember the name of the large Church we were in. Training was mainly learning the dos and don’ts and regulations of army life and being assessed as to where I would be posted.” (From My Time in the ATS contributed by David West.)

'WW2 People's War’ is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC.

13th January 1943 – the call-up for single girls in Britain is lowered to 19 (Chotie’s age). (From WW2-net Timelines.)

14th January 1943 – US President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill meet with the Alllied joint staff under General Eisenhower at the Casablanca summit Conference. On 24th January they demand unconditional surrender from Germany and Italy. (See On War chronology.)

16th January 1943 – Iraq enters the war against Germany, Italy and Japan. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

18th January 1943 – the Russians break through the German encirclement of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) opening up a corridor to bring relief to the city. However, the siege was not finally lifted until 27th January 1944 – 900 days after it began in September 1941.

08 January 2013

“George warned me about joining up but I was determined to fight for King and country, fancying myself in the Wrens* driving Naval officers around. Not to be, I finished up in the A.T.S. and suffered a month at Northampton training camp – food uneatable and cried myself to sleep for a week. So homesick. George came to see me and said I looked like a film star A.T.S. girl. Not true, as I heard him guffawing with some of his friends how terrible I looked.” (From ‘Chotie’s Story’.)

I remember my mother saying she was dissuaded from joining the WRNS (which she wanted because of the more flattering uniform) by the Army recruiting officer who promised her special work on something “new, exciting and secret” if she asked to be on the Ack-Ack (anti-aircraft) spotting – radar. Chotie’s Daughter.

27 December 2012

Many, many thanks for the parcel received yesterday, - and for such a happy choice of present. I don’t suppose I’ll have a chance of getting the Token exchanged until my leave, as I so rarely see a shop open – but it’s certainly something to look forward to.

I wish I could have got you something but it’s pretty hopeless in this place I’m afraid – but I think it would probably be wiser to wait until you get in the ATS when you may find something more practical at any rate.

Don’t forget to let me know if you see anything for Margaret and Ted. Once again it’s hopeless here. Even if this place had been a metropolis I’m afraid I could have achieved little as we had no time off for shopping etc - as I rarely get out ‘till seven or so everything’s shut anyway.

‘Spect you’re getting excited over your imminent entry into the Armed Forces of the Realm, though you seem to have overcome the medical with ease. Hope it wasn’t too exacting for you.

Well, Chotie, I seem to have had a rather quiet Xmas. We (the unit) entertained about fifty Aussies & Canadians over the holidays. Quite good fun. I’ve had little beer – apart from eight pints with Xmas dinner.

Told you I saw ‘Eagle Squadron’* I suppose. Wasn’t it LUVLY!! I nearly cried.

(I’m in a canteen eating Spam at the moment). More parenthesis…Having justfailed to finish Picture P.** crossword. You’ll probably find Spam all over the envelope.

Section Training continued for 43rd Recce an on 28th December there was a Regimental Cross-Country run. Training on the 29th featured driving instruction. (From the War Diary of the 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

31st
December 1942 - Battle of the Barents Sea. The British Navy intercepts
German warships attempting to destroy a large supply convoy to Russia.

During
1942 Allied merchant shipping lost 1,323 ships, equalling 7,047,744
gross tons (almost three times the losses of 1941) to U-boats
world-wide. 87 U-boats were sunk in 1942 (only 35 in 1941). (From WW2-net Timelines and History Learning Site.)

War
in Dorset excerpts will not be continued on this blog since Chotie was
no longer resident in the county from January 1943, having joined the
ATS (see recent post Chotie enrolls in the ATS )

On 1st January 1943 Dick filled out the form for recommendation as acandidate for the Officer Cadet Training Unit

Copy of Record:

RECOMMENDATION FORM FOR CANDIDATES FOR OFFICER CADET TRAINING UNITS

PART 1. (To be completed by the Candidate.)

Surname WILLIAMS

Army Number 5731671

Christian Names RICHARD KELNER

Rank Trooper

Date of Promotion -

Unit 43rd Reconnaissance Regt. Recce. Corps

Date of joining present unit 10-7-42

Date of enlistment 21-6-40

Date of birth* 28-7-21

Place of birth* Orpington, Kent

Civil Identity No.

Religion Congregational

Nationality at birth British

Name and nationality at birth of father Dudley Kelner Beresford Williams British

Name and nationality at birth of mother Alice Maude Shrubsall British

Married or single Single

Nationality at birth of wife -

Number of childres -

Next of kin and Permanent Address of next of kin Father “St Margarets” Sea Lane Pagham Sussex

School or other Educational Establishment (with dates)

Sidcup County School 1931-35

Simon Langton School 1936-38

21. Educational certificates (with dates) Matriculation (Lond.) 1938

22. Languages (state if written or spoken)French written and spoken Small knowledge of German and Spanish

23. Civil occupation None

24. Name of last employer -

25. Arm or Corps in which a Commission is desired. Three choices to be given in order of priority, one to be non-technical.

(i) Recce Corps

(ii) R.A.S.C.

(iii) Dorset Regt.

26. Technical qualifications, if any, for each of above choices:-

(i) Driver Mechanic Group D Class II

(ii) “ “ “ “

(iii) –

27. Have you ever been convicted by the Civil Power or by Court Martial?† No

If so, state date and circumstances -

28. Have you previously been admitted to the R.M.A., R.M.C. or to an Officer Cadet Training Unit? No

If so give particulars -

29. Have you at any time held a commission in any branch of H.M. Forces? If so, give full particulars No

30. General remarks -

I certify that to the best of my knowledge the above particulars are correct and complete.

Signature RKWilliams

Date 1-1-‘43

*This must be supported by a birth certificate.

†Commanding Officers will use their discretion in deciding whether a man who appears otherwise suitable should be rejected on account of conviction by the Civil Power or by a Court Martial. For example, no serious notice need be taken of conviction on account of youthful indiscretions or minor motoring offences, but where the cause of conviction indicates a lack of the high moral qualities which are required of an officer, consideration must be given as to whether the facts disclosed point to the total unsuitability of the candidate for commissioned rank. Due regard must however be paid to the fact that bravery and distinguished service in the field may be an overriding consideration in spite of past records.

On 1st January 1943 43rd Recce had a half day. The next day the Commanding Officer inspected vehicle maintenance. On Sunday 3rd there was Church Parade.

17 December 2012

20th December 1942 – the new Oboe navigational radar system (developed by the Telecommunications Research Establishment) becomes operational, greatly increasing the accuracy of RAF bombing within its 270 miles range. (See Oboe and H2S.)

12th September 1942 - a Japanese attack on Guadalcanal,'the Battle of Bloody Ridge', is defeated costing the Japanese half their forces on the Island.

12th/13th September 1942 – Major March-Phillips, the founder and leader of the Small Scale Raiding Force (insert link), based in Poole, was killed in a raid (Operation Aquatint) on the Normandy coast near St Honorine des Pertes (the beach later known as Omaha from the D Day landings). (From Combined Operations WW2 website.)

13th September 1942 - a major German assault in Stalingrad pushed Soviet forces back to the banks of the River Volga but was met with fierce resistance. In the heavily bombed city the Russians became adept at street-fighting, or 'Rattenkrieg' ('the war of rats') as the Germans called it, with crack snipers hiding among the derelict buildings. Women played important roles in the defence of the city, as bomber pilots, firing anti-aircraft guns and as medical orderlies, retrieving the wounded under fire. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

18th September 1942 – British forces landed on the East Coast of Madagascar and by the 23rd occupied the capital Tananarive (now Antananarivo). The Vichy French government signed a peace treaty on 5th November 1942.

03 September 2012

The Small Scale Raiding Force was involved in raids on Les Casquets lighthouse in the Channel Islands and St. Honorine near Bayeux, Normandy. In Operation Dryad on 2nd/3rd Septembera the successful raid on Les Casquets lighthouse destroyed the ‘U’ boat wireless transmitting station, capturing seven German soldiers, as well as vital code books and Naval information.

Tarrant Rushton airfield was constructed between Blandford and Wimborne, near Badbury Rings in Dorset. The aircraft was to field the first arrivals on French soil on D Day and 1st British Airborne set off for 'the Bridge Too Far' that was Arnhem from here.

Whirlwind aircraft from Warmwell in Dorset sank two armed trawlers in the Channel on 9th September.

On 11thSeptember five people were killed by a single German bomb dropped on the Bournemouth Road in Parkstone, Poole; near where Chotie and her family lived.

A Poole flying-boat, the Clare, came down in the Channel after a fire, killing six crew and thirteen passengers on 14th September.

(From 'Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company 2004 and ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980)

During September 1942 43rdReconnaissance Regiment was still based in Dover, although that month they received orders to mobilise, complete with first line reinforcements. All reinforcements, including Dick, arrived during the month.

Inter-Squadron Exercises were held at the beginning of the month “bringing out many useful lessons in Section and Troop tactics and instituting considerable enthusiasm.”

Intensive First Aid training commenced early in the month, designed to train all ranks during the winter.

(From the War Diary of the 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

On 2ndSeptember 1942 Dick passed his Trade Test as a Driver Mechanic

Copy of Record

TRADE TRAINING REPORT FORM

REPORT ON STUDENT c) End of course

TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT ADDRESS:

THE DREADNOUGHT GARAGE AND MOTOR ENGINEERING WORKS (HOVE) LTD

STUDENT’S REGTL. No 5731671 RANK Trooper NAME Williams R.K.

ORIGINAL UNIT 43rd Recce. Regt. COURSE (Trade) D.M.

Duration of course From 23rd July 1942 To 2nd September 1942.

SUITABILITY FOR TRADE - Very suitable

CONDUCT AND INTEREST - Good

PRACTICAl ABILITY - Very Good

THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE - Good

SUMMARY Passed Complete Class 2 Test in Army Trade of DM*

REMARKS:

Will make an excellent D.M. Requires plenty of work.

Date 2/9/42 S.F.Webb. Lieut O.M.E.

*DM = Driver Mechanic. Reconnaissance called for many more drivers and mechanics than standard infantry to successfully reconnoiter the battlefield. (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007.)

3rd September 1942 – a National Day of Prayer was held for the third Anniversary of the Declaration of War.

5731671 Tpr Williams

HQ Squadron, 43rd Recce Regt. Recce Corps

Home Forces

Thursday

My Darlingest,

By the time you get this letter, I shall be back at Dover, but remember not to mention please or put anything but the address above.

I hope this will reach you before the 6th* – and so will wish you a very happy Birthday, and only wish I could be with you. I have sent something – or rather it’s being sent – nothing much I’m afraid, but I wish you every happiness, with it.

I went to the opera three times during the last week, the only nights I could get off and saw ‘Bohème’, ‘Trovatore’ & ‘the Barber’**. It was the Carl Rosa of course with Joan Hammond and Parry Jones. Very good. I met an Italian there (naturalised) and spent a very enjoyable night.

Well, Darling, I’ll write again when I get to the other end, so all the very best, Precious

Your loving

Dicker

Xxxx

PS. Have just started to run for the train…

*Chotie’s 19th Birthday on 6th September 1942.

**All famous Italian operas - Giacomo Puccini’s 'La Bohème’, GiuseppeVerdi’s ‘Il Trovatore’ (The Troubadour) and Gioachino Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’. The Carl Rosa were a touring opera company. Parry Jones was a Welsh tenor. Joan Hammond,an Australian soprano, became internationally famous after the war.

On 7th September 43rd Recce had a demonstration of the Army Cadet sign system for all wireless operators, Dvr Ops (driver operators?) and officers.(From the War Diary of the 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.) Dick mentions being on exercise on the 7th in his next letter.

7th September 1942 - Rommel withdraws from his attack on the El Alamein line at Alam Halfa Ridge in Egypt.

06 July 2012

On 2nd July air attacks on coastal defences in West Dorset damaged buildings and electricity supplies.

In Lyme Bay on 9thJuly German E-boats (called Schnellboots for their speed) attacked Allied Coast Convoy WP183 sinking a tanker, four freighters and an armed escort trawler.

An air attack on Swanage on 13th July caused injuries and damage to buildings.

From 19th to 22nd July German mines were being laid in the Channel off the Dorset coast. The people of Poole adopted a minesweeper on 29th July, which became HMS Poole. At the time 35 vessels were being financed by warsavings from Dorset.

During July, a VIP air hanger, with specially built blast walls, was constructed at RAF Hurn to house Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s personal plane and other special aircraft.

July 1942 - 1stAir Landing Squadron were based at Carter Barracks on the Bulford ranges of Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

From 1st to 3rd July 1942 two 1st Air Landing Squadron Troops took part in Brigade Exercise, one Troop operating on each side. They were led by Captains G.L.Falkim and G.C. Roberts, Lieutenants D.M. Freegard and L.A.W. Hayes and 2nd Lieutenant A.J. Waterman. The exercises lasted 3 days and on 4th July 1st Air Landing Squadron had a Free Day.

On Sunday 5th July 35 officers and men took part in a Glider Flying day. 3 sorties were made from Netheravon Aerodrome with flights of one hour each and the men practiced deplaning drill on landing.

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, National Archives, Kew)

1st July 1942 – As Rommel advances into Egypt British officials in Cairo begin burning official documents (so many that the day was nicknamed ‘Ash Wednesday’) and desertions rose rapidly in the British Army of the Nile. However, Rommel’s attacks on the British positions at El Alemein were unsuccessful; the line held and Rommel was put on the defensive.(From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

4th July 1942 – Sevastopol, a strategically important port on the Black Sea and capital of the Crimea, is captured by the Germans after a siege of 250 days.

German aircraft and U-boats attack PQ-17, the largest supply convoy Britain until then to be sent to the Soviet Union. 24 out of the 33 vessels were sunk in the Barents Sea east of Svalbard – one of the greatest Naval disasters of the war.

The German authorities begin systematically gassing Jews at Auschwitz near Krakow in southern Poland.

1st Air Landing Sqdn

Recce Corps, Home Forces

Monday Eve.

My Darling Chotie,

Thanks for letter received a few days ago. I'm now back from this scheme, and would have written before but have only just come off a 24 hr guard.

Just as luck would have it, the Divisional Commander* decided to pay us a call this morning so of course the Guard had to turn out for inspection. Rumour has it thathe was once married to Daphne du M**, but I'm sure I don't know for certain. He’s a Major-General and by repute the best dressed man in the Army.

I understand from Home that the Bryn is now a Lance–Jack - which makes him my senior, curse him! He hasn't yet been home on leave - so it's probably all for the best that we took ours when we did.

I met a very decent chap here - Philip by name, who is the image of Richard Dix. He happens to be rather well-read so we have much in common... (Conceit of the man!). He was a Glider Pilot but was thrown out in company with some fifty others and posted here. Quite a good crowd but very R.A.F.ish. You know - such nice little boys.

I went down as far as the Town where Strongs brew their xxxx*** and went all over the forest on the scheme. We slept out in the open each night – 3hrs a night. Pretty rough but quite good fun on the whole.

I've just had a letter from Mother - who appears to be much better now, after having had rather a bad time of it. Dad also wrote a few days ago - a sure sign that Mother was not up to par. (That pun, wasn't intended, Darling!).

I'm afraid there's no chance of my seeing you Precious, as we're working seven days a week. If I do ever get a Sunday off though I'll come straight down.

I've done a bit more flying - but I'll tell you about it when next we meet.

Well, Darling, there's nothing new, only that I love you Chotie, Darling and miss you more than ever. All we seem to be able to look forward to is the time when we’ll never have to worry about the scourge of separation, - or having to be over careful about things...

Goodnight my Darling,

All my love

Dicker

PS I wish you could see the sun set over the Plain*** tonight. Turner would have revelled in it.

PPS. Brinner's had a letter from Pete! He's in Leicester.

* Frederick Browning, Commander of the 1st Airborne Division consisting of the 1st Airlanding Brigade and the British 1st Parachute Brigade and from July 1942, the 2nd Parachute Brigade (which brought it up to strength as a division). He later became Deputy Commander of the 1st Allied Airborne Division and was knighted in 1946. He had married the novelist Daphne du Maurier - the author of Dick’s favourite novel 'Rebecca'- in 1932.

On the 6th July 1942 a party from 1st Air Landing Squadron were fined and then grounded – they appear to have received a visit from Major-General Browning, the Commander of 1st Airborne (see above).

From 7th to 15th July 1942 the Squadron held Unit Cadres* – N.C.O., Fieldcraft, Weapon training and M/C (motorcycle) riding - with demonstrations by Paratroops & Air Landing Troops to High Officers and members of the Ministry of Production on 9th and 10th July.

*Cadre = A nucleus of trained personnel selected to train others or develop and build an organisation around which a larger organisation can be built and trained eg a cadre of corporals who train recruits.

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, National Archives, Kew)

10th July 1942 – Rommel’s Afrika Corps again attack the El Alamein line but an Australian Division breaks through the Italian formation and captures Rommel’s signals intelligence unit. Without this and deciphered messages from the American military attaché in Cairo (the Germans had cracked his code in December 1941 but Bonner Fellers returned to the US in July) Rommel could only guess Allied intentions. Conversely the British were now aware of Rommel’s plans through Ultra, their Enigma decrypts of German messages.(From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

On 17th July the 1st Airborne Division was brought up to full divisional strength with the formation of the 2nd Parachute brigade. Browning was determined that the Airborne would not be sacrificed in "penny packets" and had urged the formation of a third brigade (see Just Ordinary Men ).

“…and when they moved to Pagham, Sussex, to a pretty chalet-like house, I went to stay with them.

That house was full of singing and music – so happy. We walked round a lagoon , ending up with a beer in a Selsey pub. I did so like his family. There was noserious religion, which I was subject to at home. Dicker did not have much time for the church, saying “Why do Bishops live in Palaces?”

While Dick was on leave 1st Air Landing Squadron were training on the Vickers MMG (Medium Machine Gun) Range on Saturday 13th June 1942 and on beach bomb Ranges for field firing on 14th June.

They were moved by rail to Kimmeridge Bay* (Dorset) for field firing training on 15th June. On 18th June the squadron marched 25 miles from Kimmeridge Bay Firing Range back towards Bulford. Unit transport picked them up for the last 20 miles on 19th June.

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, National Archives, Kew)

* Kimmeridge is on the south coast of the Isle of Purbeck, ironically close to Chotie’s home town of Poole and near where she was (briefly) stationed in the Land Army at Church Knowle in October 1942. The lovely bay became England’s first voluntary marine nature reserve, managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, and in later life was one of Chotie’s favourite places to visit.

14th June 1942 – German saboteurs landed on Long Island near Jacksonwille in Florida, USA. They were quickly picked up and executed after trial.

19th June 1942 – Churchill and Roosevelt met to plan Allied offensives against the Germans for the rest of 1942. They agree that American troops will join their Allies to invade French (West) Africa in Operation Gymnast (which became Operation Torch).

21st June 1942 – Rommel’s Afrika Corps capture the key port of Tobruk in Libya after a 4 day assault following the Battle of the Gazala line. (The Australians had defended Tobruk under siege for more than 7 months in 1941). Rommel found more than 4,000 tons of oil had not been destroyed in Tobruk – vital supplies for his planned advance into Egypt. Churchill, who had ordered that Tobtuk was to be held at all coasts was dismayed and wrote “Defeat is one thing, disgrace is another”.(From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

20th & 21st June 1942 – Dick appears to have been granted his 1st Long Service and Good Conduct (L.S. & G.C. badge - one chevron on lower arm) retrospectively. It was due on 21st June 1942 and although this date appears on the record of his Service and Casualty Form it follows records from September 1942.

09 June 2012

On the night of 3rd/4th June 1942 decoy fires and explosions on the Purbeck heathland (see HH1 and HH2) saved the Royal Navy cordite factory at Holton Heath, near Poole, from 112 high explosive bombs and 5,000 incendiaries. No bombs hit the cordite factory and there were no casualties on the decoys.

Poole also suffered a heavy bombing attack on the 4th of June. Early incendiaries started fires on the heathland west of the town, diverting many of the 50 Luftwaffe bombers. However, they also caused numerous fires in the town and several buildings were hit by bombs. Dedicated effort by the fire and civil defence forces (presumably including Chotie’s father, an ARP* warden) meant that only three people were killed.

An underground petrol tank at the Hamworthy RAF depot was blown open and a huge slick of petrol covered the adjacent land and harbour. Fortunately these highly inflammable lakes didn’t catch fire and the petrol gradually evaporated (the explosion would have destroyed all the RAF petrol supplies for Dorset and West Hampshire).

One of the 139 tons of bombs released over the town hit the Sona, a Naval Headquarters ship moored at Poole Quay. It went through the ship and lodged unexploded in the mud below until 7th June when it destroyed the Sona and several evacuated buildings on the Quay.

On 6th June bombing aimed at the railway track in Bournemouth damaged 454 properties although only one bomb hit the track.

Whitley planes arrived at RAF Hurn (now Bournemouth airport) in June 1942 to fly Special Operations Executive agents and supplies for Resistance groups across the Channel. They also supported Airborne training on Salisbury Plain. A satellite aerodrome for the Fleet Air Arm station at Yeovilton was established at Sigwell’s Farm, north of Sherborne.

(From ‘The Book of Poole Harbour’ edited by Bernard Dyer and Timothy Darvill and published by The Dovecote press Ltd 2010, ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and ‘Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company.)

*ARP = Air Raid Precautions

June 1942 - 1st Air Landing Squadron were based on the Bulford ranges of Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

1st Air Landing Squadron Officers listed for June 1942: Major C.J.H. Gough;

On Monday 1st June the Squadron had lectures and training at Bulford and on 3rd June they were on night operations – a compass march.

On Sunday 7th June 1942 1st Air Landing Squadron were training on Ogbourne St George Mortar Range, Wiltshire and on 8th June were flying in Tiger Moth (biplanes).

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, National Archives, Kew)

2nd June – The German Army 11th Army advances in the Crimea and attacks the port and fortress of Sebastapol. The fierce battle ends with German victory on 9th July.

4th-7th June 1942 – the battle over Midway Atoll, the US base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii, was won by the US Navy. This crucial battle turned the tide and the Allies took over the offensive from the Japanese in the Pacific. Again US codebreakers had intercepted signals revealing that Japanese invasion fleets were heading for the Midway Islands , enabling timely launching of US Naval task forces from Hawaii to defend the base.Four Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk and 250 Japanese planes destroyed with the loss of only one US aircraft carrier, the Yorktown.

*By this time Chotie had transferred from Plummer’s Knitwear Department back to Beales.

On 10th June 1942 Dick was granted 10 days leave.

Copy of Record

SERVICE AND CASUALTY FORM

10.6.42 Granted 10 days leave Army Rank Trooper Place Field

10th June 1942 – After the gallant defence of Bir Hakeim in the Battle of the Gazala line , most of the Free French escape to the British lines. General de Gaulle hails Bir Hakeim as the start of the resurrection of France.

22 April 2012

This is one hell of a crowd. Discipline isn't in it. They're trying to break the Guards peace time standard and believe me they're doing it. Everything has to be blancoed* up to scratch nearly every day. I shall get little or no time off.

The only good thing about it is the leave. Apparently they get Seven Days every nine weeks or so - which is amazing for the Army.

I start on a course on Monday next - it's just like being a rookie all over again.

The Company here is billeted in a marvelous old house – Elizabethan* - with hundreds of rooms, banqueting halls etc.

Incidentally you must write to the address as shown, and not the one you already know - for security reasons. You might advise Diller or Mother if you write, as I've had to give them the Nottingham address of course.

For Pete's sake, how long's the war going to last? I only hope your mother's right, when she says it will be over this year.

I'm afraid I can't say anything of local interest, etc as these letters are sometimes censored for security reasons.

I miss you already, Darling - how am I going to feel in a month’s time?

I'm afraid I must close here as I have a hell of a lot to do. Please writesoon my Darling as I feel b----- lonely.

all my love Precious,

your adoring

Dicker

*Blanco was a cleaning compound used on the cotton of army uniforms. ‘Bull, Blanco and Brasso’ meant getting uniforms immaculate.

** Shaw House, Newbury, Berkshire - the base for 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron mentioned in their wartime diary in the National Archives, Kew. This grade 1 listed Elizabethan Building is now owned by West Berkshire Council and open to the public.

23rd April 1942 - In a secret session of the House of Commons, Churchill delivered a speech declaring that the liberation of Europe was 'the main war plan' of Britain and the USA. (From WW2-net Timelines. )

Friday 24th April 1942 - 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron changes its designation to 1st Air Landing Squadron, Recce Corps. On 27th April its address was changed to 'Home Forces’. The Squadron used the mortar range at Chobham (Surrey?) on Tuesday 28th and were training with night flying gliders on the 29th.

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, National Archives, Kew)

24th April 1942 - The Luftwaffe raids Exeter in the first of Hitler's raids on historical cities in retaliation for the bombing of Lübeck at the end of March. These became known as the 'Baedeker' raids after the famous guidebook series.

The Allies second raid was made against Rostock in Germany and on 25th April the Luftwaffe attacked Bath. The 'Baedeker' raids continued with the bombing of York and Norwich in late April and of Canterbury in May and June, after the Allies’ bombing of Cologne.

28th April 1942 – the Nazi Reichstag, Germany’s ‘puppet government’ declares Hitler ‘Supreme Judge of the German People’ and above the reach of the law. This turns out to be its last meeting. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

Major-General Browning had a DSO (Distinguished Service Order) from his WW1 command in the Grenadier Guards. He was an impeccably dressed, hardworking, disciplinarian. Married to the famous novelist Daphne du Maurier, he went on to play a prominent and controversial role in the British command of Operation Market Garden.

Hopkinson had founded the General Headquarters Liaison Regiment (known as ‘Phantom’ – see The Missing Winter) soon after Dunkirk, leaving in late 1941 to command the glider-borne brigade of 1st Air Division, 1st Airlanding Brigade Group. The actor David Niven, an officer in Phantom, remembered ‘Hoppy’ as “a short square officer with a fertile imagination and a great gift for extracting the maximum loyalty and hard work from all ranks”. As one of the first volunteers for the fledgling airborne forces in Britain he qualified as a parachutist, injuring his back on his first jump and landing in Poole Harbour on his second, still wearing a plaster cast.

When Hopkinson became head of 1st Airborne in 1943, Hicks was promoted to Brigadier and gained his second DSO from his actions in Sicily. Major-General Hopkinson was killed in Italy in September 1943 while Brigadier Hicks survived the war, having been one of the commanders of the British Airborne Division during the Battle of Arnhem.

Officers listed for 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron in April 1942:

Captains: G.L. Falkim, G.C. Roberts (later ADC to Major-General Urquhart during the Battle of Arnhem), J.P. Royle (a close friend of the actor David Niven, he became a major in the Glider Pilot Regiment commanding “Force John” in Operation Overlord. He was killed at Arnhem on 20th September 1944 – see the Pegasus Archive), C.W. Suter (like ‘Freddie’ Gough a former member of the distinctive 5th (Ski) Battalion of the Scots Guards and a Lieutenant with the London Rifle Brigade in the British Expeditionary Force of 1940); Lieutenants: T.J. Firbank (later awarded the Military Cross and becoming Lieutenant Colonel and commander of the Airborne Forces Depot after the war), M.W. Grubb (captain of ‘A’ Troop with the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron under ‘Freddie’ Gough at Arnhem) and P.C.K. Somerville.

2nd Lieutenants: R.J. Clark (represented the Reconnaissance Squadron as a captain in the ‘seaborne tail’ at Market Garden), Kindersley (possibly the Hon. Hugh Kindersley who became Brigadier commander of the 6th Air Landing Brigade and was wounded in the battle of Normandy?), H. Poole (a captain at Squadron Headquarters of the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance during Market Garden) and A.J. Waterman (later captained ‘B’ troop of the 1st Air Landing reconnaissance Squadron).

All troops in the 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron were volunteers: ‘Experience from 1941 to 1945 proved that only about one man in three of all volunteers possessed the necessary physique and morale to become and remain a parachute soldier. All airborne forces, though emphatically not “suicide” troops should at all times be prepared to fight under unusual circumstances, to gain a vital objective, for the initial battle was theirs, and theirs alone. They should expect as a matter of course to be surrounded by the enemy, cut off for some time from all except supply by air and to have to defeat a more heavily-armed opponent before being relieved by ground troops. This was as much a matter of morale as skill and training – complete self-confidence in addition to physical fitness, endurance and personal initiative.’

The basic training for an Airlanding soldier enabled them to attain a high standard of fitness - the intention being that they "Would be able to march 60 miles in 72 hours and still be able to fight".

Glider troops were trained beyond the level of the standard British soldier though not to the peak and expense of paratroopers. They were less swift when deployed in an attacking role, but were entirely solid in defence. Glider battalions were approximately 50% larger than parachute battalions, comprising of 16 rifle platoons in 4 companies, as opposed to 9 enlarged platoons in 3 companies. In addition, each of their Support Companies were much larger than that of a conventional infantry battalion, containing double the amount of men and equipment in their Machine Gun, Mortar, and Anti-Tank Platoons. The need for glider-borne troops had been realised with a view to providing parachutists with both support equipment and additional infantry - the purpose of airborne troops was expanding far beyond that of infrequent commando raids.

07 December 2011

While the Telecommunications Research Establishment continued to develop their ‘Blind Navigation’ two more British planes crashed in Dorset – a Wellington bomber on 16th December 1941 near Powerstock and a Beaufighter (the long-range heavy fighter modified from the Beaufort bomber) at Pulham on 29th December. Both crews survived the crashes.

During 1941 construction began of the Starfish (from SF for Special fire) Decoy on Brownsea Island that was to play such an important role in the defences of Poole. Elstree Studios' pyrotechnics crew helped to install theatrical explosives and fires to mimic the bombing of Poole and draw the Luftwaffe's attention away from the town. Designated as PE1, it was operated by the Royal Navy who also maintained decoys to protect the Royal Navy Cordite Factory at Holton Heath– HH1 on Arne and HH2 on Gore Heath.

(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and ‘The Book of Poole Harbour’ edited by Bernard Dyer and Timothy Darvill and published by The Dovecote press Ltd 2010.)

1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron:

In December 1941 the newly formed 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron moved from their secret training location in Wales to Shaw House, an impressive Elizabethan building in Newbury, Berkshire. There they had lectures and motor cycling, driving and weapons training.

On 26th December their designation changed to 1st Air Landing Company, Reconnaissance Corps. Major C.J.H.Gough (later of Arnhem fame), known as ‘Freddie’, was their commanding officer and the squadron soon acquired the nickname of FGS or ‘Freddie Gough’s Squadron’. He was a stickler for discipline and set exacting standards in search of 'the best of the best' in selection and everyday duties. All Air Landing (gliderborne) troops were volunteers.

(From the War Diary of 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron, WO166/6955 National Archives at Kew, ‘Airborne Forces’ by Lt-Col T.B.H. Otway, D.S.O. London: Imperial War Museum, 1990 and Paradata – the living history of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces.)

Dick joined 1st Air Landing Reconnaissance on 20th April 1942.

At the beginning of December 1941 German heavy artillery were within range of Moscow but the German commanders realised that their exhausted and frozen troops could not take Moscow this winter (frostbite casualties were now exceeding the number of wounded in battle), even as they began a final assault on the city. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012).

2nd December 1941 – the new National Service Bill introduces compulsory service for women.

5th December 1941 – Soviet forces mount a surprise counter-attack to defend Moscow and the Germans advance is halted.

6th December – Roosevelt approves the commencement of atomic weapons research in the USA.

7th December 1941 – Admiral Yamamoto’s Japanese carrier fleet bomb the US fleet in Pearl Harbour. The Americans, taken completely by surprise (Japan had not declared war on the US), lost the battleships Oklahoma and Arizona, two destroyers and 188 aircraft. Many other ships and planes were damaged and 2,335 servicemen were killed. The Japanese lost only 29 aircraft. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

Japanese forces land on Kota Bahru in the far north-east of Malaya and are able to make their first air raid on Singapore the next day.

8th December 1941 – the USA and the UK declare war on Japan.

Japan attacks the US controlled Phillipines bombing the Philippine capital of Manila and American airbases. Half the US Far East Airforce are destroyed.

Japanese forces attack the British territory of Hong Kong and Japanese forces occupy Shanghai in China.

Mass killing began at the Chelmno extermination camp near Lodz in Poland. More than 152,000 people were murdered there during the war, mostly in the gas chambers, including Jews and Romanies from Poland, Hungarian Jews, Czechs and Soviet Prisoners of War.

9th December 1941 – China declares war on Germany and Italy.

Japanese troops occupy Bangkok, Thailand.

10th December 1941 – Allied Forces enter Tobruk in Libya. This was their first major overseas victory.

The British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse, which had been sent to defend Singapore, are sunk by the Japanese.

The Japanese take Guam, an American base in the Mariana islands.

11th December 1941 – Germany and Italy declare war against the USA and the USA declares war against Germany and Italy.

14th December 1941 – Thailand becomes an ally of Japan.

15th December 1941 – Japanese troops enter Burma. The Battle of Burma begins with a Japanese bombing attack on the capital of Rangoon on 23rd December.

16th December 1941 – Japanese forces land in Borneo.

18th December 1941 – Japanese troops land on Hong Kong Island.

The British battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth and Valiant are sunk by the Italian Navy while in Alexandria harbour, Egypt.

19th December 1941 – Hitler took over complete control of the German armed forces, the Wehrmacht.

22nd December 1941 – Roosevelt and Churchill meet at the Arcadia conference in Washington and agree to pool British and US resources and develop strategy to win the war together.

Japanese forces land near Manila in the Philippines. US and Philippine troops with the American Commander-in-Chief General Douglas Macarthur, withdraw to the Bataan peninsula.

23rd December 1941 – Japanese forces finally land on and occupy Wake Island an American base in the Pacific between Hawaii and the Mariana Islands (after unsuccessful attacks on 8th and 11th December

25th December 1941 – surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese.

26th December 1941 – Winston Churchill addressed the US Congress with his speech “A Long and Hard War”rejoicing that “the United States, united as never before, have drawn the sword for freedom and cast away the scabbard”.

27th December 1941 - A combined services commando raid on German occupied islands off Norway results in 150 Germans killed and 16,000 tons of shipping destroyed as well as defences and infrastructure.

Just a few lines to let you know that all is well, and that I still love you, EVERYTHING.

I'm now feeling much better and though still on the sick list, hope to be OK again in a few days time.

I had a letter from Brinner (NO not Monica*, Darling...) who appears to be enjoying himself.

I do little or nothing all day with Eric, which gets pretty boring after a while. He had a parcel today and is, consequently, feeling quite cheerful, and sends his love (brotherly).

I was medically examined this morning re transferring, and was categorised A1. - not that it makes any difference. I'm afraid there's no news, of course, as nothing seems to happen.

Monica, as I hear from Diller, who still corresponds, has now found her true love (etc), and may now cease to cause me sleepless nights. It's about time she had a change of front and policy. That's the only snag of going back to Herne Bay**. But at any rate we hope she's married by then and in safe hands.

This pen’s horrible to write with. Needless to say, it’s Eric's! He has everything on the thin side.

I've managed to find Cocknowle*** on a large-scale map - so I now know whereabouts it lies.

As regards next Sunday, I'll borrow a bike from Somewhere in England and be around sometime about 3 pm to 5-30. At any rate, I'll write again before then.

Well, Darling I must close here as it's time for tea, and I must rush to post this.

I managed to get a Dorset Brooch, which will do, I hope, until I get into a Genuine Regiment when I'll send you another.

Bye, bye Darling

All my love

Dicker

Xxxxxxxx

* Dick’s former girlfriend

** Dick’s family were planning to move back to Herne Bay from Poole. They ended up at Pagham in Sussex.

*** where Chotie was living in the Land Army

From ‘Chotie’s Story’:

“I left Beales to become a Land Army girl, age seventeen, after a tiff at home. A lovely farm at Church Knowle in the Purbecks. Miss Geaves, the farm owner, let me live in her beautiful cottage under Creech, the highest point in the Purbecks. Walking across fields in early morning, the mist fell in between the hills like small lakes, quite awesome. Also awesome was my cycle ride from Corfe Castle station to Church Knowle, on a moonlit and part cloudy evening. How ghostly Corfe Castle looked.

The Land Army was not for me. After too much rich food I suffered a bilious attack and hours of mangold pulling, milking cows and trekking across fields took its toll. Dad took great pleasure in saying I had been invalided out of the Land Army much to my annoyance. Beryl† joined at a later date and made quite a success of it.”

† Beryl was Mum’s younger sister, a 'success' in the Land Army

Reputedly my mother lasted three weeks in the Land Army before she was ‘invalided out’, always a source of much amusement in our family. Dick’s posting to a location so near to her home may have had some influence on her desire to leave the rural idyll of Purbeck.

I have an annoyingly vague memory that she told me Dick went to France before ‘D’ Day and was injured and the worry of this French trip, coupled with sickness, led to her leaving the Land Army. I wish I’d found out more but I think this was a whispered secret even then – perhaps only for dramatic effect but possibly, like the Bletchley girls, because there were things one swore never to tell.

probably until 20th April 1942 when he officially transferred from the 70th Dorsets to Reconnaissance.

The secrecy surrounding certain Intelligence units

meant that participants often remained officially assigned

to their original regiments.

From July to September 1941

he was Trooper Williams Intelligence Section, HQ Company while he trained at Fort Brockhurst, Gosport, Hampshire.

July 1941 – coal also now rationed.

July 1941 – formation of the British Special Air Service – a small scale fighting force suited to raiding and reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and close quarter combat deep behind enemy lines. They were the first to use the motto “Who Dares Wins” and were parachute trained to reach the enemy by air.

1st July 1941 – Germany and Italy recognise the Japanese government of China.

3rd July 1941 - Soviet Premier Josef Stalin exhorted the Russian people to defend their soil by adopting a "scorched earth" policy, destroying anything that might be useful to the German advance.

Dick’s ‘Seven Days’ leave

appears to have been taken at the beginning of July,

at about the time he joined the Intelligence section.

The Sandbanks peninsula, Poole, had been a restricted military area since July 1940 but in the summer of 1941 sea bathing was once more permitted for residents of Poole on a small strip of the Sandbanks beach. This was courtesy of the Russian resistance to Hitler’s forces deterring Germany from any invasion of Britain. Before the war Chotie’s family had a cherished beach hut at Shore Road, Sandbanks, but all the huts were removed to clear the line of fire against invading forces in 1940.

“Happy days were spent in the summer going to the beach. We had a hut on the sands at Shore Road, Sandbanks and I cannot remember when I could not swim. We pumped up car tyres, which were great fun to dive through and play with - these were the days before lilos and plastic beach toys. In the evening we would collect all the rubbish left by picnickers and have a bonfire. Salty, sandy and dishevelled, glowing from the day in the sun and weary from all the playing of games and swimming, we were piled into the back of the milk delivery van to wend our way home.” From ‘Grandma’s Story’ written by Chotie for her grandchildren.

FAREHAM SERVICES INSTITUTE

Intelligence Section

HQ Company, 70th Dorsets

Gosport, Hants.

My Darling Chotie,

Having just been to the flicks and finding myself at the above address, I thought I’d write you to let you know what news there is and that I arrived back safely but very late. The trains were all over the show at So-ton and I had to go all the way to Romsey, from Totton, and then back on the same train to So-ton. When I got to Fareham the last bus had just gone, and consequently in the company of several others I had to walk (!) to Brockhurst - about six miles!

And not one car passed me all the way.

In the interests of National Economy I am using both sides of this note paper.

This Intelligence game is proving to be a cinch, ---- all to do and plenty of time to do it in. It is in fact, just my vocation.

We've just been to see ‘ Honeymoon for Three’ - quite amusing. I was going to see ‘Rebecca’ again but it was on in some vague suburb of Pompey, and consequently I changed my mind.

I went to the Coliseum again last night. Annette was there again – strip-tease. I regret to say I got hopelessly tight afterwards. There were four of us, and I've no idea how we got back again and believe it or not, I was by far the most sober of us all.

After an hour's steady drinking, it developed into a competition, and we started on Brandy and Chablis. Gertie (Kirkwood) was crawling about under the table before long, and Welsh, a bloke from Plymouth Grammar, looked decidedly ill. Billy Ede, has lived most of his life in France & Germany and is consequently rather hardened. After that we got split up and Bill and I later found the others in Gosport trying to climb a pile of sandbags. I managed to get to bed, but got up again about midnight and had a cold shower which sobered me up considerably.

I'll never forget that night. We're all on Intelligence. What a crew. I had the devil of a hangover this morning, but luckily it's Saturday so there's ---- all to do.

Well, Darling, there's no news as usual. I hope you managed to get back all right.

I've written with some pens in my time, but I've never seen the likes of this one. The ---- nib keeps getting crossed.

I must say bye bye now Darling as I have to get a bus back to Brockhurst.

25 June 2011

I am making every effort to get into the Parachutists. Apparently, there are a few openings in that direction, at any rate for the moment. It should be a smashing life, if I can get in.

We had a marvellous time on Monday at the Sports. George and I won the Wheelbarrow Race! We only decided to enter for the fun of it, a few hours before the start. No one was more surprised than us! We got a couple of bob each in the form of a voucher in the NAAFI.

I managed to get a second in the Quarter Mile, only just losing first place. I also got four bob for that.

There's very little news. The outlying companies are on the move again. If I get a transfer anywhere, I'll either go to Lee or Hurn*, both better than this as regards getting home.

I can't see any chance of getting home for some little time - probably not until my Seven Days. It's rotten luck, but there's nothing I can do about it. Still, things may turn for the better. One never knows.

Isn't the war marvellous? Fritz will be bottled up in another couple of months**. I'll be home for Christmas, and it won't be leave! What a time we'll have then. All you've got to do is earn enough money to keep both of us. How does that suit you?

At the moment, John is slanging me for joining the Paratroops***. He's going red in the face, saying I want to commit suicide or some twaddle like that. We shall see. I'll turn up like the proverbial bad penny, all right after this show.

Well, Darling, I must write home, as I haven't written for some little time.

Bye, Bye, Darling,

Love you more than ever,

All yours

Dicker

*Lee-on-Solent or Hurn, near Bournemouth

**Presumably news of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Russia, had resulted in this hope.

***The Paratroops:

In the early days of the war every man who applied to undergo parachute training was a volunteer. “The promise of a touch of glamour and higher pay that the Parachute Regiment provided, ensured that there was never a shortage of men ready to volunteer.”

There was resentment from the rest of the Army regarding those who left for the Airborne Forces - why should good units lose first-class men whom they sorely needed? Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks (later Dick’s commander in XXX Corps) lamented that it was always the natural leaders who volunteered for these “special cloak and dagger private armies ….In these special formations... each leader represented only himself as they were all of the same type; but in his regiment he was worth almost a whole section, for he was the man the others would follow." However, Brigadier Richard Gale argued that “for peculiarly hazardous operations demanding an exceptionally high physical and moral standard one must rely on the volunteer.”

Thanks a million for the letter. I've only just got it as I suppose it was held up at Soton.

Well, Honey, I've got some news this week! I'm now a private again.

I got so utterly fed up with this Battalion, that I sent in an application to the Old Man to revert to the ranks. He refused, saying he considered me better as an NCO, than as a private. He then asked me why I wished to revert, so I let him have it!

I told him I'd sooner serve as a Mess Orderly in a fighting unit than a Sergeant-Major in this. That shook ‘ee!

He asked me whether I'd like to go on MT*, driving, probably on a motor-bike, should there be a vacancy. I told him I would, so may start there soon. At any rate I'll get a transfer.

I told the Old Man that all the NCOs did here was to wet-nurse a lot of kids who should be in the Boy Scouts.

So here I am. Being a Private will give me a wonderful chance to swot up, which I intend to do. Besides, driving is more fun than fooling about in barracks, etc. I shall probably break my neck, but that's how it goes.

(Don't forget to address all correspondence to Private name & number)

Will you still love me as a private, Darling? That's all I'm worried about.

George was going to chuck his in, but he's got some sick leave, so I don't know much about it.

I went to the Coliseum at Portsmouth, yesterday, and saw a Strip-Tease Act. The compere said “The more you applaud, the more she takes off.”! Did the boys give her a hand! I went with John and Ted Rendall, - we nearly killed ourselves laughing.

Later The only good thing at this place is the showers. They're hot almost always. I've just had one, after dinner, and do I feel ‘in the pink’! I could kill an ox.

Well, Darling I must close here, with all my love. Please write and tell me you still think of me now & then.

Sorry I haven't been able to write before. I've been on the course for 2 days now and so far haven't had a spare moment.

I don't mind that so much, but unfortunately I won't be able to receive any mail whilst I'm here. This means I won't hear from you until Saturday night at the earliest. Rather a blow, but these things can't be helped.

The course is very interesting to a bloke who knows sweet ---- all about Intelligence. I don’t suppose I’ll know much more about it when I’ve finished but still....

Incidentally, I get back on Saturday night, which means the CSM will try to jump on me for guard on Sunday. If, however, I can evade this, I’ll send a telegram on Saturday night to let you know whether I can get the day off. I’ll probably have to go on Church but still, we get back about 11.30. I believe.

I’m afraid I can’t write any more, Darling as it’s now nearly 0900 hrs. We have to be in the Lecture Room by 0930 and it’s a fair way to walk. (I’ve just had a marvellous breakfast!)

24th May 1941 – HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismarck with the loss of 1,416 men, out of a crew of 1,419, in the Battle of Denmark Strait.

24th May 1941 – Picture Post, the most popular magazine of the time, predicted that Poole (where Chotie lived) with the Isle of Wight and coast by the New Forest would be one of the four main landing areas for German invasion.

"Poole was the first landfall out of Cherbourg. It's gentle shelving beaches were ideal for invasion while, as a landing base, it had 5,000 feet of quays, wharfage facilities and equipment for handling cargoes. It also provided airfield facilities for the BOAC flying boats and had millions of gallons of petrol stored near its quays."

Hitler's plans for invasion in 1940 included the landing of the 6th Army from Cherbourg on the Dorset coast.

(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980.)

02 February 2011

1st February 1941– a flying-boat service to neutral Portugal was established from Poole Harbour. Lisbon was the only safe staging post in Europe and became vital in supplying air support to Africa as well as Egypt and the Middle and far East via the Free French colonies in West Africa – the famous ‘Horseshoe Route’. This was a vital artery for the Western Desert campaigns.

The BOAC flying-boats had been moved to Poole from Hythe, near Southampton, in August 1939. Water runways known as ‘the Trots’ were marked out in the Main and Wareham Channels and operated from Salterns Pier (Poole Harbour Yacht Club, now Salterns Marina Hotel). Poole Harbour became the main UK civil airport during the WW2.

(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and ‘Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company 2004 Tel. 01963 32583).

Rye Cottage, Marine Parade W

Lee-on-Solent, Hants.

Darling Chotie,

Thanks for the letter. As I'm on Guard again I thought I'd write. It's about the only time I get. I'm on the Beach Hut Guard with no stove and only a candle for light and heat, and is it cold!

It's now just eight o'clock Saturday evening, and I'm faced with the pleasant prospect of staying in this wretched hut, awake, ‘till ten o'clock tomorrow morning. It's so damn cold now that I can hardly write - heaven knows what it will be like by about midnight.

There was an inspection of these guards by a General a few days ago. From what I can gather from various sources, he condemned the conditions and I believe there is the chance of moving again. I don't know where it will be, of course.

Everyone's fed up with this place as, apart from the food, there's nothing to be said for it. It's one long Guard - up to our necks in mud and only one wretched cinema, when we get any time off.

Anyhow, Darling, I still love you so much that even Guards become a pleasure when I think, of the glorious time we're going to have when I get back. And I don't mean maybe...

About every ten minutes someone, some clumsy ---, knocks over my candle, and if it were not for my lighter, Darling, I don't know what I'd do. I'd certainly have used a good few matches tonight.

I'm afraid as usual there's very little news - if any. Nothing of any real interest ever seems to happen.

I hope to meet Eric again soon. He's at Gosport (about 5 miles from here) and I'm trying to arrange a reunion. The snag is that it's difficult for us to both get the same night off duty. I expect we'll manage it soon - Eric's a born wangler.

Sunday Evening

I came off Guard and after a bath and some din-din, felt a lot better.

I'm afraid I can't write any more, Darling as it's just on Supper Time, and I must post this in the NAAFI as it's the only chance I’ll get.

“We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”

11th February 1941 – German forces arrived in Africa for ‘Operation Sunflower’, reinforcing the remaining Italian forces in Libya after the destruction of the Italian Tenth Army in the Allies' 'Operation Compass'.

Dick was promoted to full Corporal again

on 20th February 1941.

He also appears to have been moved to ‘D’ company of the 70th Dorsets

Copy of Record

Statement of Service Army No. 5731671 Richard Kelner WILLIAMS

THE DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT

Order 55/41 70th Y.S. BnAppointed Paid Army Rank A/Cpl20-2-41

25th February 1941 – British forces captured Mogadishu, the capital of Italian Somaliland.

26th February 1941 - following Hitler’s appeal for Spain to enter the war General Franco declares “I stand today already at your side, entirely and decidedly at your disposal”, but Spain remains neutral.

Thanks for the letter. I’m afraid I’ve some not so good news in this letter. I’ve been chopped from full rank to Lance Corporal, and Pete has been made up.

During the last few months, discipline has been neglected and I was the only rank to charge anyone. Today I was hauled up in front of the Colonel and calmly told that I hadn’t any control over the men! I was amazed.

As usually happens, I have been transferred from ‘A’ Company to ‘C’ which is at Battalion Headquarters; actually at Corsham about 10 miles from the Aerodrome. This Company, which was the old ‘L’ Coy, is junior to ‘A’ and is consequently still training. This is a pleasure as it means no more guards, better food and generally better living conditions.

Pete, for some mysterious reason, has been transferred to ‘D’ Company which is also here. I don’t think he’ll last very long as I have just seen him and he isn’t feeling too good, being generally fed up.

I don’t give a damn myself. All I want to do is to get back to my little Cho-Cho. Nothing seems to really matter in the Army. All I do is live for that glorious day when this will all be over and just a nightmare best forgotten. If only you knew how much I miss you Tootsie, and how often I think of you, you’d know just how I feel.

I don’t know whether you remember me telling you about J P Clarke (“JP”) who went on a 48 without permission. Well, he’s here, at the Headquarters. At the moment he’s on his first Seven Days. He is, I think, the only bloke here who I really understand. He’s so crazy about his Toots. He’s the only one I’ve got something in common with. All the rest seem so shallow and so far from genuine. He was busted from L/Cpl to private by the Colonel.

Corsham is a village of sorts, having a few shops, one half pint sized cinema & a small YMCA. We get very little time off and consequently I haven’t had much chance to see it yet.

I’ve met many of the blokes I knew six months ago in the old ‘D’ Coy. Most of them are pretty fed up with everything. There’s no chance of a Commission as the new Colonel hasn’t passed a soul since he’s been here. Toni was passed by Col. Heseltine, the previous C.O. I wish he was still here. At least he showed a little interest in the junior NCOs.

Well, Darling I must say Au Revoir here as its lights out.

Goodnight, Tootsie Darling,

all my love

Dicker.

P.S. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon…

New Address : -

L/Cpl RK Williams, ‘C’ Company, 70th Dorsets, Corsham, Wilts.

9th January 1941 – the Allies began their attack on Italian forces in Eritrea, Somaliland and Ethiopia.

January 1941 – Poole attacked with incendiary bombs on six of the first twelve days.

9th January – Incendiary bombs caused 37 fires in Poole. 248 houses were damaged and two men were killed by high explosive bombs at Canford Cliffs.

(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and ‘Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company 2004 Tel. 01963 32583).

The 70th or Young Soldiers Battalions were formed about this time to take volunteers too young to be conscripted. They were generally over 18 and under 20.

(Dick was 19 in July 1940, soon after he joined up.)

from Record

Statement of Service Army No. 5731671 Richard Kelner WILLIAMS

THE DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT

Order 198/48 Unit 6th H.D. BnPosted to 70th Bn Army Rank A/Cpl1-11-40

3rd November 1940 – British troops arrive in Greece to fight the Italians.

NB Change of Batt.

70 Bath Dorset Regt.

‘ K’ Coy.

London Rd

Chippenham

Wilts.

My Darling Cho-cho,

Well, at last I'm now able to write. It's been one long rush for the last week or so, I'll tell you all about it in a moment.

I was very sorry to hear that F W* has been forced to close down. It must have been rather a blow. I don't suppose you're very worried though! Nothing worries us does it, Darling? You can now join the ATS and get stationed near me. That would be just about heaven I reckon.

Talking about getting stationed near me, I'm now at a place called Chippenham, which is marvellous. We’re billeted over a Burton's (tailors) right in the middle of the town. I've just given the place the once-over, and when I say it's OK I don't mean maybe. It's got some marvellous pubs, teashops & everything. I don't know how long we’ll stay here but it's all right by me.

I was going down to dinner on Friday when Gurd (CSM) pounced on me and yelled “Escort to Birmingham!” whereupon I proceed to pack up my goods and chattels and, having conscripted a private, set off for Brum. It took us just about 8 hours to get there.

We got to Brum about 11 pm in pouring rain & blackout etc, with nowhere to sleep and no money (having lent all mine to Eric to go on leave with). Bombs were falling all over the place. Marshall and Snelgrove's (about as big as Bobby’s**) was reduced to an ash heap. I ended up sleeping in a cellar under some barracks.

I had two days in Brum arriving back via Bristol with the prisoner who was doing his best to escape (bless his little heart...). It was no joke, I can tell you.

Well, Darling, I'm afraid there's nothing else of interest. I may be able to get home this weekend, I don't know yet.

I’ll write again anyway.

Loving you more than ever

Your devoted

Dicker

* FW was Chotie’s place of work:

“At fourteen my Mum took me to Bournemouth for a successful interview in Mr F W Collins’ rather swanky dress shop, selling hats, furs and clothes ‘for every occasion’ in the arcade. Mrs Pitman, the rather sad manageress (her husband was a rotter) took me in hand and trained me to be a Sales Assistant and Window Dresser. Mrs Collins showed me how to make and trim hats.

Mary, whose parents kept the Anglo-Swiss Hotel, also worked there. We used to hide in the lower floor and cold store room (where furs were kept in summer), putting the evening dresses against us, which were lovely, instilling in me a love of beautiful clothes.

The errand boy took a shine to me and bought me a handbag (Mum made me give it him back). You could not, in those days, accept presents from ‘any old Harry’.

I forgot to mention, at thirteen I won the ‘Atlanta Cup’ for physique out of all the Poole schools. Must have been quite a dish!”

From ‘Grandma’s Story’ written for Chotie’s grandchildren.

** Bobby’s was a large department store in the centre of Bournemouth (now Debenhams).

14 October 2010

Dick met up with Chotie again for the first time since the beginning of September during this 7 Days Leave, which lasted until Sunday 13th October 1940.

On 12th October 1940 the proposed German invasion of Britain, Operation Sealion, was abandoned by Hitler who turned his attention to the Russian front.

Bemerton, Salisbury

Wilts, Monday eve.

My Dearest Darling Little Cho-cho,

I'm writing, or should I say, trying to write, this in the N.A.A.F.I. rather late in the evening. As you will see from above, we are still here.

When I arrived back on Sunday I heard that Pete + Eric had gone on to Basingstoke as an advance party, which is the usual thing just before you move. Then tonight I heard that the whole show has been cancelled as far as we're concerned and that we're staying at Salisbury. I was also told that a lorry had been sent this evening to bring them back, but I've just heard that no lorry has been sent. What a show! You simply don't know what to believe. We hear one thing one moment and another the next.

I heard one thing that definitely is true however, and that’s that I've been given another stripe, and that all the time I was home, I was a fullCorporal! I shall get (I hope) about five shillings and threepence a day soon. Just another stripe Darling, and we'll get married (officially...).

Well, Darling, it will be wonderful if we stay at Salisbury, but I'm afraid it's not definite yet.

29 August 2010

On 28th August Dick qualified as an Instructor in Physical & Recreational Training.

Letter posted on Thursday 29th August 1940

‘K’ Company

6th Bath. (HD)

Dorset Regt.

Bemerton

Wilts

My darling Chotie,

Thanks for the letter.As you will see from above, I am now at Bemerton again, and don’t I know it. I arrived here this afternoon to find that ‘G’ company, to which I was attached, has now moved to Dinton, to take the place of ‘D’ who are at Dorchester. I’m just about fed up as I haven’t a friend in the place now, in fact, apart from the C.S.M.I.*, I don’t know a soul.

Yet another calamity, even greater. There’s a certain Major here, who is doing his best to stop all week-end leave.I asked the C.S.M.I. if there was any chance of a pass this week, and his reply was not encouraging.He said he’d do what he could, but could promise nothing.

I am however putting in for seven days leave, in a few weeks time, ie. after my three months is up.This should be successful, unless of course all army leave is cancelled, which action seems rather imminent. Not a very cheerful outlook I’m afraid.

But still, darling, even this ---- army can’t stop me loving you, and after all, that’s all that matters.

I heard to-day that Tom was buried when bombs fell close to him at Warmwell.Apparently he’s OK, but I have heard nothing definite.

Incidentally, it’s a good thing I didn’t try to come on home last week-end, as everyone who went was caught, and put on a charge. I think they were all reduced to the ranks.Rather a close shave.